The Portland daily press., 1887-08-24
A Dangerous Nuisance.

To the Editor of the Press:
The Portland Advertiser mentions the foul
odors in the vicinity of State and Danforth
streets. During the evenings of Thursday
and Friday last the familiar stencil was so
noticeable as to occasion the remark that
Back Bay is booming" Knowing that the
tide was high and the wind southerly and
therefore the air was not rendered foul by
Back Bay and searched for the source where
so often located before at the street seauer
calcerts and found the culyerts at corners
of State, Gray and Danforth streets the chief
cause of the odors in that immediate vicinity.
There are scores of culyerts all over the city
as bad or worse than those named, and the
whole source of evil is due to accumulation
of the street washings during the two long
intervals between removal thereof, and the
putrid material stays and stinks for weeks.
The mere offense to the nostrils by foul
odors is trivial as compared to the possible
and probable effect upon the health of the
persons breathing night after night the air
thus made impure. The street culverts are
practically cesspools, necessary and efficient
in preventing solid material passing into the
sewers. As there are several thousand of
these culverts in the city it is important that
the deposits in them should not be allowed
to accumulate and remain so as to contamin-
ate the air. Yet this is DONE and but few
persons have given the subject sufficient at
tenti0n to become aware of how widespre ad
ana persistent Is this source of contamin-
alton.
The contents of very many of these cul-
verts, both liquid and solid, ought to be
taken out and removed in covered carts as
often, as every ten days during the warm
months.
Nero flushing" of the culyerts, which
has occurred by copious rains at fire.
quent intervals this summer effects
but little relief and of temporary dura-
ton. Ii there is foul water in culvert it
may thus be carried off, but the solid nate
rial is merely stirred up, and the freshly
added water soon becomes foul and the evil
continues until the entire cause is removed.
A year ago l endeavored to arouse atten-
ton to this matter in the hope that there
would be an adoption of systematic rem
edy such as might be practically and con-
tinuously applied. The Mayor and the sec
rotary of the city health department agreed
with me in view of the Importance and ne
cessity for removal of the evil, but the
Chief obstacle to accomplishment of its re-
moval seemed to be based on the facts that
one department" OF the city service could
not properly be called upon to perform or
assist In the work assigned to another de
partment."
l had urged the necessity of cleansing
sewer-culyerts as often as twice or thrice
each month from April to November, inclu-
slve, by removal of entire contents, and a
thorough washing out and flushing by use of
hose and nearest hydrants, and suggested
tnat this might be accomplished as follows.
The use of hose, hydrants and water COM
ing within the province of the fire depart
ment, an order might be issued to effect that
lnasmuch as on various occasions fires
hny +ra1
most useless from neglect or the water SER
vice faulty, and hose weak or defective.
The MIGRANTS, water servic, and hose should
be. tested at regular intervals, the water
delivered into designated culverts this work
to be done by the not overworked fremen),
and so arranged as to be coincident and in
harmony with the work of cleaning the cul-
yerts by the street department in alternate
sections of the city.
The great prominence that has been given
TO "Back Bay" has shut out of view the
scores OF evils of similar nature and effect,
which singly may be of minor magnitude,
but which are nearer, and of serious i'm
portance and potent effect.
The nuisance of foul sewer culverts ought
to be and can be abated and kept so without
any extraordinary expense. ''Back Bay"
mas borne too much OF the burden of blame,
and while not a pot of incense, yet it is
flushed twice every day, and its poisonous
exhalations come to us more diluted than
the windows of dwellings.
1t must be evident to anyone that in a city
so exceptionally well endured by nature as
IS Portland in its topography and surround
lngs with the conditions most favorable to
the health of its residents, that there must
be some very persistent artificial causes for
the yearly prevalence of diphtheria, typhoid
fever, malarial illness, etc.
An occasional death calls the attention of
attending physician and few persons d.
rectly interested to this subject while the
health and strength of many persons is be-
ing undermined by causes so insidious and
unobserved as to be not apparent.
Practical steps are now being taken for
needed improvement in the service of re-
moving offal A far more serious evil lies
in the neglected sewer culverts, aud these
lines are written in the endeavor to arouse
the residents and city officials of Portland to
the necessity of putting in force an effective
remedy for the condition of affairs concern
ing the sewer-culverts and their hygienic in
fiuence. And call attention to the subject
as one who has given it much study and OBJ
servation professionally as civil engineer.
personally as one of the victims of malig-
nant diphtheria who has survived the expe-
rence, and as a resident and citizen of Port
land. EVERETT SMITH.
August o. 1887